Deja-Vu
by patricia51
Summary: A murdered FBI Agent finds herself caught up in in a supernatural struggle between good and evil as she pursues an immortal serial killer. Again. And again. And... Rated M for violence, character death as well as sex scenes both MF and FF. With Chapter 5 now complete.
1. Chapter 1

Deja-Vu by patricia51

(A murdered FBI Agent finds herself caught up in in a supernatural struggle between good and evil as she pursues an immortal serial killer. Again. And again. And... Rated M for violence, character death as well as sex scenes both MF and FF.)

(Notes: THE BAU practically never works solo nor would they be out patrolling like the first chapter shows but I needed a way to put JJ one-on-one with the killer. The supernatural and religious elements are all my own ideas and don't reflect the way the characters act in the show.)

Chapter One

Brittany Rogers peered through the store's broad front windows, carefully inspecting each inch of the nearly deserted parking lot. Satisfied, she unlocked the door, set the alarm and slipped outside in the required thirty seconds. She locked both top and bottom locks and scurried towards her car. As she went, she nervously scanned the area, her head swiveling. Twice she turned and walked backwards a few steps to check behind her.

Why had she stayed so late, she berated herself silently. Trying to finish her sales reports, which darn well would have waited until the morning was her admittedly foolish answer. She had become absorbed and had not noticed how quickly time had passed. She had planned to not only be out of the office before dark, but to be home. Not walking through the deserted parking lot of a deserted strip mall. She wished she had opened her office across town where the big 24/7 store assured that there was always someone else around, even if the rent would have been triple what she paid here.

How could she have lost track of time on, of all nights, THIS night? She shivered, clutched her keys and looked around even more, peering into darkened corners where the alleys between the sections of stores loomed as black holes. This was Halloween. For ten years Halloween night had meant death for a woman in this city.

The police were out in force, she knew. But they had been for the last two years, ever since some enterprising reporter had put everything together and revealed that for the previous eight years a lone woman had been found stabbed to death on the eve of All Saints Day. Each murder had been determined to have taken place before midnight. No details had been made public, but rumors painted a lurid picture of disembowelment and mutilation that reportedly had shocked even the hardened detectives who investigated the crimes. The police had mustered every available officer since then, but had not succeeded in stopping the killings.

Brittany shivered again. There was her car. Only ten steps away. The hair on the back of her neck seemed to stand up and she broke into a run. Reaching her car, she fumbled with the keys. In her nervousness she dropped them on her first attempt to unlock her car. The second was no more successful, as she tried to insert the key in the lock upside-down. Finally she heard the reassuring "click" of the lock and sighed.

It was at that very moment when she felt safe, that she heard the sound behind her. It was a sound that froze the blood in her veins. It was a deep chuckle and she sensed the menace even as she jerked her head over her shoulder and looked.

All she could see was an outline. The form was so dark it blended into the shadows as though the lights of the parking light turned away from it. Straining, she caught a glimpse of eyes under a hat brim. And Hell was in those eyes as surely as it was in the reflection of the light off the long, gleaming knife that appeared.

Brittany tried to move. She willed her fingers to open the car door, her legs to run, her arms to lift in hopeless protection of her body. She stood like a statue, as though the glance of the figure had turned her to stone. All she could do was whimper deep in her throat as he approached. He was within three steps of her when somehow she regained the use of one part of her body and screamed at the top of her lungs.

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau smothered a yawn and snuck a look at the time. Nearly 11:30. She had been on duty over ten hours now, with only a hasty stop for a sandwich and a soft drink for a break. Thirty minutes to go if all remained true to form. The Halloween killer had not struck so far. Perhaps the saturation effort of the MPD would pay off tonight. More officers were on foot patrol in the heavily populated areas of the city rather than in their cars. Those were assisted by the Police reserve officers and the auxiliary cops. All volunteers, the former were certified and trained while the auxiliaries had only a short departmental training course. Jennifer had heard that if this show of force was not enough to prevent a murder tonight that there was already discussion about having the National Guard called out next year.

In the meantime in an extremely unusual set of circumstances Federal agents were working all over DC. FBI agents and US Marshals and even a normally off-duty shift of Capitol Police were augmenting MPD both on foot and in a hastily gathered selection of marked and unmarked cars from different agencies. She was driving an older PD car and admitted to herself that she would feel a lot better if she wasn't alone. She'd love to have Emily or Derrick with her. Even better would be to have her husband Will LaMontagne with her but of course he was somewhere else in the city driving his unmarked in the same search she was.

The attractive blonde agent scolded herself. She had been mechanically scanning the back of the business center she was checking, pointing the remote controlled spotlight on each service door, each barred window, each gap between the buildings. While she had been on the job long enough that she would have immediately noticed something wrong with anything she passed, she needed her full attention on what she was doing. What if she drove into a restaurant's grease collector as Will had told her an officer had a few months ago while he was half turned watching a pretty girl? He was NEVER going to live that down. Unless of course some FBI agent did the same thing to replace him as a source of a steady stand-by chuckle.

She eased the steering wheel over to swing around the corner. She checked the darkened drive through window of the pharmacy that marked the last business on this end of the strip. Now she would check the front doors. She considered getting out of the car and walking the front, rattling the doors as she did. She had just decided not to, that there was no point in her being foolish about exposing herself, when movement in the parking lot caught her attention. Frowning, she started to turn the spotlight on the lone car when she heard the scream.

Her reaction was automatic. She slammed her right foot down on the accelerator. She flicked on the high beams and then cut on the blue lights. Her other foot pressed the floor mounted radio button. As she reported the situation she saw a figure turn and begin to run towards a gap in the buildings. The lights of her cruiser illuminated the knife clutched in one hand. She turned in the direction of the fleeing outline, chasing it until it disappeared in the dimly lit alley.

Stomping on the brakes, she slid sideways to block the entrance and leapt from the car. She shouted the information into her shoulder mike that she was in foot pursuit of an armed suspect possibly the Halloween Killer. Drawing her service weapon, she started after the subject, calling on him, as she thought the figure seemed male, to halt.

Between one step and another the world seemed to slow to a crawl. Dimly, she could hear dispatch acknowledging her. She could hear the woman still screaming out by the car. She could hear the sound of distant sirens and blowing engines as her fellow officers rushed to her assistance. Her mind flashed back to last night, to snuggling on the couch with Will with their son Henry tucked between them. It had been just cool enough to make lighting a fire possible. The warmth surrounding her, from the flames, from her husband pressed against her, from her son sleeping with his head pillowed against her all took JJ away to a safe place. The place was so safe that as she forced her mind back to reality for the first time she felt fear and a desire to leap back into her patrol car and wait for backup.

She couldn't. The fleeing suspect was still in sight. She had read last year's reports. They thought they had him trapped but had never been able to find him. Worse, however he had slipped through the cordon, he had done so with enough time to hunt down and murder his annual victim before midnight.

All of those thoughts flashed through her mind in less time than it took for the suspect to take a complete step. JJ took off down the alleyway, her eyes fixed on the fleeing form. He disappeared around the corner, ignoring her demands for him to halt. Sprinting ahead, she reached out and hooked a concrete pole protecting the corner from wayward drivers. Still running, she used her momentum to spin herself around the corner.

The blow was so hard that at first she didn't feel any pain. It felt like a punch to her stomach. Only when she looked down and saw the hilt of the knife protruding from her body, right under the bottom of her Kevlar vest, did the agony hit home. She wanted to scream but she couldn't find the breath. It HURT. Oh God it hurt.

A mocking laugh reached her ears. An unshaven face, full of deadly glee, thrust itself forward, so close she could smell his bad breath.

"Oh this time I topped it all," he sneered. "I killed me a bitch cop."

Suddenly his face twisted in surprise and agony. JJ could barely feel her finger pulling the trigger, but the muffled roar between them assured her that her Glock had fired. She fired again and then once more. He tumbled backwards, falling to the ground, pulling the knife free from her as he did.

For a moment she swayed on her feet. Her pistol fell from her nerveless fingers. She covered the cold pain in her lower belly with both hands, her knees giving way. Then she collapsed sideways. A detached part of her mind noted the slight pain from the scrape of the concrete on her cheek. Her hands were wet and sticky, and she knew why. Her mind grasped what was happening. A old prayer first heard in her childhood and sometimes recited by Will came to her.

"Hail Mary, full of grace..."

Headlights and splashing blue lights filled her world. Car doors slammed and feet pounded on the cement, nearing her.

"The Lord is with thee..."

Gentle hands rolled her over. From the sounds of the cries she looked as bad as she felt.

"Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit..."

She managed to pick out Aaron Hotchner's face among those clustering over her. His hands were on her wound, his body shaking with the effort to stop the bleeding.

"Of thy womb, Jesus..."

People were screaming for an ambulance, for bandages, for a dust-off helicopter. Those cries should be loud, but they were getting so very faint now.

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners..."

The faces of her fellow cops were gone. It was quiet now. All she could see were her husband and her son. They were smiling and she tried to reach out to them.

"Now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

It was very dark now. Then she could see a light. Not the "light at the end of a tunnel" she had heard about, but rather a light that seemed to grow all around her. There was a figure standing beside her. An old man, he leaned on a cane looking at her with pride and just a hint of disapproval.

"I thought I would see Rosaline and my grandmother. Perhaps my friend Angela."

JJ was almost astounded at how calm she felt. She knew she was dead but somehow the feelings were not of loss or fear but of peace.

"Yes, well, normally they would be here for you. But I wanted to talk to you first. By the way, I'm very proud of what you did. Had you not stopped him this night would have been more terrible than ever. He would have crossed paths with a family before midnight." The old man stared off for a moment. "But you stopped him. Granted, you cut that corner too close and look what happened. But you are brave and determined and that's why I wanted to talk to you before you move on."

He took JJ's arm and turned her a bit. "I want you to see this."

The old man waved his free hand and it seemed like an opening appeared into another place. JJ gasped when she saw the killer standing, his hands on his hips. He was facing another figure, a figure so dark that it seemed to repel light.

"I fulfilled my yearly bargain," the man insisted. He seemed defiant, but he also was trying not to cringe too openly before the dark shape.

"So you did," replied the black shape. The words were clear and distinct without any accent or forced menace. JJ shivered involuntarily as though she had caught sight of a poisonous snake curled up at her feet.

"Three more times," said the dark form. "That's the seventh time you have been killed. Three more and you're mine, according to the bargain."

The picture faded. JJ found herself standing close to the old man. Somehow she knew that his presence protected her even from the dark evil she had just witnessed.

"He made a bargain, with, with..." JJ avoided the word, as though naming that entity could summon him.

"With Satan," finished the old man. "He," and JJ knew which "He" the old man meant, "Offered that man a deal. He could continue to live as long as he kills one woman each year, on the eve of All Souls' Day. However, should he himself be killed ten times, then the bargain is over and he's forfeit. Tonight was the seventh time he has been killed."

"Why don't you stop him?" burst out JJ. "I can't believe you let things happen like that."

"First off Jennifer, I'm not God, but one of his servants. Secondly, God allows things like that because he will not interfere with his greatest gift, free will. Mankind perpetuates the evil, mankind must stop it."

JJ looked at the old man. Servant or not, she could feel the power radiating from him. "What do you want me to do?" she asked.

(To be continued) 


	2. Chapter 2

Deja-Vu

Chapter 2

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

A smile crinkled his face. "Good girl!" Somehow the comment, which once might have angered her as condescending, was anything but that. Instead, it was a high compliment. "I want you to stop him. Three more times."

JJ took a deep breath that she didn't need. "Okay." she said simply.

The man waved his hand again and another man appeared. Young and at the same time old, his pale face was unlined and serene. He was dressed all in black. He nodded respectfully to the old man and then smiled at her.

"This is Seth," introduced the old man. "He is one of my associates and will look after you. Whenever you have a question that you really need help to answer, call for him." The old man raised both hands. Light shone around them, seeming to come from him as though it could no longer be restrained by his facade. Then JJ was lying in bed, curled up on her side and blinking the sleep from her eyes.

She threw back the covers and swung her legs to the floor. Groaning slightly, she stumbled to the bathroom, scratching an itch on her side as she did. Good Lord her mouth tasted awful. She spread her feet before the toilet and braced one arm against the wall. Even as she began to wonder just what the hell she was doing and why her other hand had dropped down in front of her, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror mounted over the sink.

"Holy SHIT!"

"What is it?" came a muffled female voice from the bedroom.

"Errr stubbed my toe, Angela." Somehow the name came from her lips automatically.

"Well, with what you had to drink last night, I can't say I'm surprised. Again," came a tart reply.

JJ examined the image in the mirror. Flush faced and fleshy, with sagging cheeks and a thick neck. She needed a shave, she noted. And a haircut. Will would never allow himself to get this disheveled. Then she looked down, particularly at what she held in her right hand, which was directing a stream into the porcelain bowl. Mostly into the bowl, as she noted the seat was down and her aim wasn't perfect.

"Seth," she whispered. "What the," she paused, Unable to think of an expletive she could use to what she was sure was an angel she simply asked, "What is going ON?"

The black clad figure was beside her in an instant. "Oh, you're awake."

"Damn, I was hoping I was still asleep and dreaming." JJ realized she was still holding her penis and hastily released it. Okay, would you please explain why I'm standing here with a five o'clock shadow, a beer belly and a hangover? I mean, is this some take-off on 'Heaven Can Wait'? Or perhaps this is an unaired episode of 'Quantum Leap'."

Seth didn't bat an eyelash. "A bit of both, perhaps. I won't be tapping on any hand-held computer but you are going to be the only one who can see and hear me."

"Okay, so who am I and why is this happening?"

"You are you, Jennifer. However you are sharing a body with Charley Lightner. Charley is not aware of you, but you are in control, at least for now. He's a nice guy who has let everything get into a rut; his job, his marriage, his entire life. He's a construction worker, he drinks too much, spends too much time with his friends and not enough home with his wife. He actually wants to do better but he just can't summon the determination. So you are going to help him. And in return, come October 31st, IF you have arranged things properly, you will meet and defeat your opponent.

JJ opened her mouth but Seth beat her to it. "NO, you could not and cannot come back as yourself. It is months after your death. Your husband and son are just beginning to come to terms with losing you. Showing up in any shape or form would only cause trouble."

He looked at her sternly. "ANY shape of form. If you attempt to find them and see them, action will have to be taken to prevent it. I'm sorry, but its best for all concerned."

"Okay," reluctantly admitted JJ. "But what am I to DO?" she almost wailed. "I don't know anything about Charley, or Angela in there, anything about his job, his habits," she stumbled, blushing, "Their sex life. ANYTHING!"

"Charley is not gone. Just give him free rein and the daily life will take care of itself. However, you need to give him some direction and get him in shape to handle the confrontation that will take place in six months. Don't just 'Take over' although when need be you can be in control. Work with him." Then Seth was gone.

Following directions, JJ somehow relaxed and let Charley follow his morning routine. She showered, shaved (with only a couple of nicks) and grabbed a cup of hot coffee from the kitchen before sitting down at the chipped plastic table. A few minutes later Angela appeared to serve the breakfast that JJ had seen on the stove.

JJ studied the other woman. She appeared to be a match age-wise with Charley, around 30. About 5'4 she wore a few extra pounds around her waist and bottom. She had light brown hair done up in curlers at the moment and was wearing a bathrobe. The legs peeking out were shapely but in need of tightening up a bit. But then... JJ studied the body she was in and couldn't suppress a groan.

"Serves you right," came the tart reply. "I wish just once you would come home at a decent hour not reeking of smoke and beer..." The litany went on. JJ listened to it with half an ear, which was more attention than Charley gave to it, she noted. Still, it sounded pretty justified to her.

"I'm sorry," she finally said when Angela wound down. She hastily finished eating, went and brushed her teeth and left. Angela was at the door and handed Charley his lunch pail. A brief smack on the cheek was what she was given in return. That wasn't good, JJ thought. Sure, she and Will didn't give each other Clark Gable/Vivian Leigh kisses every time one of them went to work, but they were a lot more affectionate than this.

JJ sat back, allowing Charley to drive his pickup to the worksite. She definitely let him take the lead in the carpentry work that was his profession. She just watched and listened as he spared with and worked with his fellow construction workers.

The only time she wanted to butt in was during lunch. True to form, the guys sat down together and proceeded to eat, and whistle at every passing woman. JJ had got some of that when she first started on the Bureau; the comments, the innuendoes, the outright offers. However by firmly standing her ground she had stopped them and earned the respect of her fellow agents. But she wasn't here to make fellow workers politically correct.

The 5 o'clock whistle blew and everyone scampered for their vehicles. One of Charley's buddies, Joe, yelled to Charley that they were going to Flannigan s. Apparently acceptance of the invitation was assumed. Shocked looks appeared when JJ firmly announced "Sorry guys, I got something I have to do this afternoon."

That thing was to stop by a gym and purchase a membership. JJ considered where to start. Due to his job, Charley had good upper body strength, but no wind and no stamina. His agility was nil, due in a large part to the fat around his middle, and she shuddered to think what his cholesterol count was. That was all she needed, to have him have a heart attack from exertion when she confronted the killer. They certainly were not going to indulge in any of her favorite workouts. By the time she had changed clothes, carefully ignoring the fact she was surrounded by half-naked men, she had decided that she would start with the treadmill.

God, it was even worse than she thought. Five minutes and Charley was gasping for breath. They weren't even running. She pushed him, keeping his pulse elevated to the right level and gave him a good, if limited, workout. She returned to the locker room and decided to take a shower here before going home.

That wasn't the greatest idea she had ever had, JJ decided five minutes later. After all, she had never been in a man's shower room before. Being surrounded by nude male bodies, some of which were QUITE attractive, was more than she had counted on. She closed her eyes, concentrated, washed up as quickly as possible, and fled as soon as she could.

Angela was quite surprised to have Charley home at a reasonable hour, even though he fell asleep watching TV. Dinner was good, Angela making an only slightly barbed comment about "Wasn't it nice to eat it hot for a change". JJ just smiled in return and agreed.

The next morning was almost as bad as the first. This time, instead of a hangover though, the pain was caused from the previous day's workout. A couple of hastily swallowed aspirins helped though along with the coffee, as well as a chance to actually relax a bit and talk with Angela over breakfast.

As Charley drove to work, JJ thought over what she had observed so far. Getting Charley in shape was going to be work, but was something that could be accomplished. Knitting the gap between Charley and Angela was going to be harder. The morning conversation had been pleasant, but impersonal. There didn't seem to be any real connection between the two people. It was as though they were simply sharing the same house, the same bed. Well, nothing good ever came easy.

Charley staggered away from the health club that afternoon, mentally protesting at the sudden drive to get him in shape and wondering where the impetus was coming from. Still, it did feel better to wake up without the usual headache. Even the aches and pains from the exercise that somehow he somehow was almost compelled to do seemed to be lessening. And he admitted that Angela wasn't on his case all the time.

Saturday morning came and Charley cut the grass around their small two bedroom tract house and made some minor repairs that Angela asked him to do. Asked him, Charley noted, not nagged him. Not even when he took a break in the hottest part of the day and watched the baseball game and had a couple of beers, the first he had all week he realized. Well, he smiled, that might make tonight even better than usual.

JJ had been content to simply sit back and watch. She HAD made Charley drink water when he got hot while mowing the grass but that had been about it. She had wondered what the building excitement was all about, but had not delved into Charley's thoughts. It wasn't until bedtime when JJ realized what had Charley excited was that Saturday night was his and Angela's "Do It" night.

"Oh CRAP! Okay, calm down Jennifer," she thought. "Maybe this isn't so bad. Think of it as a learning experience. Something to reflect on, experience the other side. Find out what you could have done for Will to increase his pleasure."

Resolutions were all very good, but JJ nearly screamed for Seth to get her out of this body when she felt Charley's cock start to stiffen. She looked down in amazement as it grew. She felt dizzy. Well, no wonder, as the amount of blood it must take to engorge this thing couldn't leave much at the top.

Then Charley was rolling on top of Angela, who spread her legs and guided him into her as the couple kissed. JJ made a mental note that Charley's kissing left a good bit to be desired, but at least it was enthusiastic. She could feel Angela's body moving under Charley. It felt good to feel her rounded and soft curves. Quite different from Will's firm and lean body. Her mouth tasted different also. And the feel of Angela's pussy engulfing Charley's cock was amazing. No wonder guys like this so much. It really felt good.

Charley heaved up and down, moaning and gasping as he thrust into Angela. JJ noted that Charley felt increased excitement that he was able to move faster and with more vigor than last week. Angela seemed to be responding also, verbally and physically. Then Charley was yelling and JJ shuddered herself in the throes of her first male orgasm. Shared though it was, it felt damn good too.

Angela had cried out and bucked wildly under Charley and told him how good he was. JJ snorted. "Fake an orgasm there much honey?" She herself hadn't done that in years and even then she was better at it than Angela was. But Charley didn't seem to notice and fell asleep shortly afterwards. JJ slept when Charley slept somehow, but tonight she stayed awake after he was snoring. That allowed her to notice when Angela slipped from the bed and snuck into the bathroom. Straining, JJ could hear squishing sounds and figured Angela was finishing herself off.

No wonder, she admitted to herself. That wasn't much; basically no foreplay, no cuddling and not much time in the saddle either. Okay, she was really going to have to work on this. But, she searched Charley's memory, it wasn't all his fault. Maybe Angela wasn't getting much, but she wasn't helping either. She needed to be a bit more vocal in letting him know what pleased her. She sensed Charley WANTED to sexually satisfy his wife but didn't know how.

Sunday morning came. After breakfast Angela got ready for church. Charley didn't usually go with her, but JJ figured that not only was this a good opportunity for the couple to spend some time together but she herself darn well needed it.

JJ hadn't been much of a church goer but Will was a good Catholic boy and she had begun going to Mass with him on Sunday morning when they were both off and taking Henry with them. She wasn't familiar with the Protestant church that the couple attended but sat back and enjoyed the service. She reminded herself that the roads to God were many, that no one denomination had a lock on heaven by itself. And Angela was happy that Charley was with her.

The next week passed, and then the next. After a while they seemed to blur together, as JJ felt herself doing with Charley. She now thought of the body as "Theirs" rather than "His". Charley was working out at the gym of his own accord now. He had never been an athlete, but he had been active when younger and he enjoyed getting back into shape. Angela also enjoyed Charley's increased vigor. JJ had been subtlety coaching Charley on how to please a woman. Not a lot at any one time. She had to laugh, thinking what Angela's reaction might be if Charley suddenly began to act on everything that JJ wanted him to learn.

First she instructed him in foreplay, how to use his lips and his fingers to excite his wife. She taught him where to touch her. She admitted that the first time Charley went down on Angela she almost started running again. After all, what Charley felt she felt, and the sensation of their shared tongue dipping inside of a woman was just about too much for her straight self to handle. But she did.

The biggest thing she managed to do was to get Charley to talk to Angela about their sex life, to ask her how she felt and what she wanted to do. To Charley's surprise, she confessed that she had always wanted to try oral sex on him, but had always worried that he would think her some kind of slut for suggesting it.

Charley was so excited by the idea that JJ couldn't understand how he could possibly be conscious. His cock had grown to a size matched only by one she had caught a glimpse of in the shower at the gym. He stretched out and Angela bent over him.

Good GOD. Charley let out a moan that rattled the windows when Angela's mouth slid over his raging hardon. JJ chimed in silently. No wonder guys loved this. No wonder Will always had a grin on his face when she suggested this, or simply surprised him by blowing him. The sensations were incredible. It felt completely different than she remembered when Will went down on her.

Angela was a bit clumsy, but determination kept her going even when it looked like she was about to pass out from lack of air. She never stopped, not even when Charley warned her about the buildup that was about to explode. Indeed, she rammed her head down even farther on the straining shaft and rode Charley's squirms and upheavals as his balls emptied themselves in Angela's mouth. After a pause to recover the duo (or was it a trio JJ wondered?) made love, slowly, sweetly, attending to each other's needs.

Of course things weren't always smooth sailing. Sometimes JJ wanted to pound BOTH Charley and Angela's heads together. She also forgot sometimes she was in a male body that didn't move the same way her original one did. Not only did she get an occasional bump and bruise, she once got Charley to attempt a position that she as Jennifer had strained to get into and Angela seriously thought she was going to have to call the paramedics when his back went out. But she persevered.

One day on the way home from the gym, JJ noticed a sign in front of a stand-alone building in the local mall's parking lot. Intrigued, she got Charley to slow down and take a look. The sign advertised couple's ballroom dancing lessons.

JJ had always loved to dance. It was something in common that she and Will had discovered during their courtship. She missed it. Granted, the majority of their dancing had been to country music, two-stepping and line dancing. JJ had briefly considered trying to get Charley and Angela interested in that, but had discarded the plan almost immediately. What if she ran into Will? She wanted her husband to be happy but the thought of him dancing with someone else was too much to bear, let alone the idea of him doing other things. But now this different type of dancing might be fun.

Charley broached the subject and Angela threw her arms around him and nearly carried him off to the bedroom right there and then. The next evening they went down and enrolled. JJ was relieved to discover instructor didn't go in for fancy dress ideas. The thought of being in a tux was a little more than she was willing to accept. Shared body or not, JJ felt she was and always would be female, and some things were just not going to go down with her.

The classes were fun. Charley was much more agile then before and Angela kept up with him step for step. The closeness between Angela and Charley was wonderful. JJ felt that no matter what happened in the near future, in this part of her mission she had succeeded.

The other part weighed heavily on her mind as the months went by and it became October. She shifted her efforts in the gym to kick-boxing, sparing with several other novices and improving rapidly and introduced him to a mix of other martial arts. Then, finally, it was the night before All Hallows Eve.

When Charley had arrived home, Angela met him at the door with a huge kiss and a hug. Pulling him inside she fairly danced around the room.

"Guess what?"

"What?"

"We've been invited to compete in a competition tomorrow night at the studio. There will be other couples with about our same level of experience. Won't that be great?"

"Oh, my, yes." JJ was in full control right now. Giving Angela a smile that she hoped wouldn't be recognized as phony, she rushed into the bathroom.

"Seth!" she whispered fiercely

"What is it JJ?" asked the black clad man as he appeared beside her.

"Tomorrow night, Angela wants Charley to go to a dance contest with her! Shouldn't I, we, be out searching the city?"

"Where are you going to look Jennifer?" asked Seth.

"I don't know."

"Then don't worry about it." For the first time he touched her and she felt his calm peacefulness. "Take no care for tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself." He was gone.

She quickly walked back to the living room, finding Angela there, trying to stifle tears. Charley took her in his arms and kissed her. "Of course we're going,' he smiled. Don't be silly."

Angela wrapped her arms around Charley's neck and kissed him. There was no subtlety in her movements, her tongue was in his mouth and she rubbed her body against his. JJ felt the instant stirring in Charley's groin that never ceased to amaze her. He picked his wife up and carried her to the bedroom, shedding his clothing as he went. Standing her beside the bed, Charley slowly stripped Angela of her clothing next, pausing to kiss and savor each new part of Angela's body as it was revealed, from her white neck all the way down to the curve of her calves. He scooped her up in his arms and lifted her into the air. Responding, Angela wrapped her legs around her husband and lowered herself onto his jutting shaft.

JJ' head swam. The sensations were incredible. She had grown accustomed to feeling with Charley's body, sensing what he sensed and incidentally enjoying what he felt. But when Charley turned and fell backwards onto the bed with Angela impaled on his cock she almost passed out from the sheer pleasure of that. Angela's weight buried Charley completely inside her and she arched and let out a strangled moan of delight. She braced her knees on either side of Charley and began to ride him.

Charley was going crazy. Angela was going crazy. Jennifer was completely lost in the actions of Charley's body. She wasn't guiding Charley, not any longer, she was one with him and glorying in the strength of the male body she was sharing and the delight of satisfying the woman on top.

"Charleyyyyyyy," cried Angela. "Fuck me, oh FUCK me darling. Oh GOD you feel so good." She bounced harder and harder on him, her face twisted in glee. Charley grasped her hips and pulled down hard, thrusting up into his wife with all his new found strength. The couple moaned, cried, called each other's names and when their orgasm took them, when Charley flooded every inch of Angela's womb with his cum, there was no faking the wild exultation they both felt.

They slept late the next day. Charley had called early in the morning to arrange to take the day off and then collapsed back into bed with his wife. That afternoon they simply relaxed before showering, together, and preparing for the dance contest. They arrived a few minutes early. Charley guided Angela around several taped off areas where the pavement was being repaired. They carefully warmed up as the music started. Dance pair after pair performed and then it was their turn.

As the dance went on, it seemed to JJ that she was drawing away from Charley somehow. It was Charley who was moving to the music, who was spinning Angela around. He, not her, was reveling in the speed and grace of Angela's movements and the response of his body to his wife was all him. JJ felt almost like an observer now. Still inside Charley and feeling what he did, she was no longer the one in control. She was just watching.

The music rose to its climax. Charley spun Angela away, then back to him, He dropped to one knee and she stretched out over him. Her arms reached past her and one leg rose. She laid across his thigh, trusting completely on the support of it and of his arm under her back to keep her from falling.

The music ended. There was a moment of silence, then applause. The couple rose and Charley crushed Angela in his arms before he bowed and she curtsied to their friends and fellow dancers.

When they left, over an hour later, they walked out of the dance studio with Angela clinging to Charley's arm and beaming up at him. For his part he couldn't seem to keep his hands off her. All he wanted to do was touch her and hold her. When they reached their car he swept her up into a long kiss.

The kiss was broken by a scream. The couple looked around and saw a young woman running across the parking lot, a dark figure in pursuit. Automatically, Charley shoved Angela through the car door he had just unlocked, tossed in the keys, and slammed the door.

"Stay in the car and call 911," he shouted as he took off across the parking lot. Neither the fleeing woman nor the man chasing her noticed him until he slammed into the pursuer with his shoulder, both men tumbling to the ground. He bounced back to his feet and then froze for a moment as the other man produced a long knife.

"Get out of my way," the dark figured screamed.

JJ tried frantically to take control. "Don't freeze up," she tried to cry mentally to Charley. It was no use. JJ no longer had any semblance of power over Charley's body. It was all up to him.

Charley came unstuck. "Fuck you," he shouted defiantly. "Pick on someone your own size you bastard."

The man made a swipe at Charley, who dodged the blow handily. The two men circled. The man with the knife cast frantic glances past Charley, who never took his attention way from the knife-wielder. He assumed the woman had fled towards the dance studio and tried to keep himself between the madman and her, and also between him and Angela.

The man made several more feints and passes at Charley, moving the knife in circles. He thrust and when Charley jumped back, he found himself teetering on the edge of one of the holes dug in the concrete. The knife wielder grinned and lunged.

"NO!" came a scream. The man paused and looked around as Angela continued. "Charley. Catch!" He turned just in time to pick a flying piece of rebar out of the air as his wife threw it to him. She shrank back and the killer turned his attention back to her.

"You should have stayed out of this," he snarled. "I would have simply done the other one, but now you'll do instead."

Charley caught his balance. "The Hell you will." He dove forward towards his wife, swinging the metal construction rod. The killer tried for Angela but Charley was between them. He used the rebar like a sword, driving the man back.

There was a distant boom of a church bell. The clock was striking midnight. The killer threw caution to the winds, desperately trying to get past Charley. Catching the sight of Angela out of the corner of his eye, Charley was roused to fury. The man took his eyes away for one moment to look at Angela and Charley swung the bar with every ounce of strength. Without a sound, the man fell to the ground, his skull crushed.

JJ felt light-headed, even as the rebar fell from Charley's hand and he rushed to take Angela in his arms. Then she was no longer in Charley, instead standing there with Seth beside her. She looked at the angel.

"Well done Jennifer." he complimented.

"But I didn't do anything," she objected. "It was all Charley."

"Yes, but had you not guided him on the path you did, he would have not even been here, much less have been able to take the actions he did." The two watched as police cars, an ambulance and even a TV van arrived. JJ watched the blonde female she remembered as one of the hosts of the early show begin to interview Charley. Well, some things don't change. She scanned the responding police officers, looking for someone she knew.

"Now JJ, come on, none of that," reproved Seth. JJ blushed, or would have had she been capable of it. It was NOT easy having someone around who knew what you were thinking. "It's time for us to go."

"Will Charley be alright?" JJ inquired as the parking lot faded away.

"Better than alright," smiled Seth. "He and Angela risked their lives for each other, and for a stranger. They will spend their lives together and their children will be an important part in the scheme of things to come." He studied JJ. "Are you ready for your next step?"

JJ considered the question for a moment. There really was no decision to make. As interesting and instructive as it had been to share a male body, she had really had quite enough of that. She wanted to ask Seth if she could be female again this time, but was afraid of the answer. So she simply nodded and said "Yes."

(To be continued) 


	3. Chapter 3

Deja-Vu

Chapter 3

She came back to awareness much easier this time. Of course the fact that she was in the shower with cool water cascading down her body might have been the difference. Hastily she looked down. And thank GOD, she was female again. And in good shape. She admired the long legs she was presently washing and the washboard stomach. No children for this woman, whoever she was.

JJ luxuriated in the shower for a bit longer. At one point her fingers crept between her legs. Muddled images passed through her mind. She didn't seem to be able to quite capture any of them, although some must have been very stimulating to this woman.

Abigail, that was her name.

She shut the water off and climbed out of the tub, wrapping herself in a towel as she did. She would have to hurry; it was nearly time to go to work. She began to dry off when a bit of cool air brushed over her body. The door was open and she sensed someone else was entering. JJ felt Abigail smile and knew the new-comer must be someone familiar, and important, judging by the shiver of excitement that ran through her body.

Then Abigail was spun around and pressed against the bathroom wall. A leg pushed between hers, a hand slipped inside her towel to cup a rounded breast and warm lips locked onto her mouth. A long deep kiss ensued before the other person released Abigail and stepped back with a laugh.

"That's so you won't forget about me at work," smiled the lovely Oriental girl standing before her.

"As if I could," replied Abigail, who reached out and touched her lover's face with her fingers.

"Got to go, sweetheart. Have a good day," said the other woman.

"Love you Kimberly," said Abigail to the disappearing form whose head suddenly popped back around the bathroom door.

"Love you too."

There was the heavy clunk of an outside door being closed. JJ stood still in complete shock.

"SETH! NOW!"

"There's no need to yell Jennifer. I'm always right here beside you." The angel appeared in front of her. "What in the world is it?"

"Absolutely not," snapped JJ. "Being a guy was one thing. He was married though, in a normal relationship. But I am not a lesbian. I don't think its right."

"You don't?" Seth raised an eyebrow.

"No," said JJ. In the face of his obvious disapproval she didn't sound as sure of herself. "It says so in the Bible."

"Perhaps. I am not going to argue dogma with you Jennifer. I simply want you to think. When the End of Time comes and the sheep are separated from the goats, what will Jesus ask? It's all laid out for you. Will He inquire as to your sexual preferences? Or will He ask what you did for him when you did something for the least of the others?"

JJ closed her eyes. "The Judgment of the Nations." She winced. She had always prided herself on her freedom from prejudice. Like always, pride came, and then a fall. She opened them and squared her shoulders. "What do I need to do?"

Seth laughed gently. "Jennifer! You are not being delivered to Purgatory. I think you may find joy here even as you did with Charley." The smile faded. "Abigail is a sheltered spirit who has lost her faith in her family, in her church and most of all in herself. When she came out, her parents rejected her. She fled from her home town to the city. Since then she has simply gone with the rising and ebbing of the tide. She has been unable to make a stand on anything, take action on anything. She is adrift. Even her relationship with Kimberly, her source of happiness is in danger because she won't fight for it. And the challenges are looming on the horizon. She will be tested, not once, but twice and woe if she should fail. Help her to become strong enough for those challenges."

Then Seth was gone. Jennifer relaxed and let Abigail take the lead in getting dressed and going to work at the insurance company where she worked as a claims representative. She let the other woman work, watching her. JJ soon realized why Abigail had chosen this line of work. She never had to back up any decisions. She approved or disapproved claims. If her rejection of a claim was challenged, she simply passed it to a supervisor. She worked hard; she was conscientious and never did anything to rock the boat.

Okay, she could live with that, decided JJ. But what else went on? She dipped into Abigail's memory. She passed quickly through the past year, including her meeting with Kimberly, the details of which just about made JJ and Abigail both blush, she looked farther back. She wanted to see the details of the fight with her parents that had led Abigail here.

JJ found those memories but they were all a blur. There was shouting and Abigail's father's stern face and her mother's weeping one. Over all there seemed to be a thundering voice that over-rode anything the young woman had tried to say at the time. There was a door slamming and tears blinding Abigail as she recalled bundling her possessions into the car and roaring out of the driveway. But what was that younger face that she could see; also streaked with tears?

Well, that would come when it needed to. In the meantime, JJ needed to settle in with this new situation. In some ways, it was quite surprisingly easy. Kimberly and Abigail both went to their jobs and came home. They shopped for food and clothing and cleaned up the house. It was just like any other relationship. They went out to eat and, to JJ's delight, went to the gym to work out on a regular basis. In fact, both women trained in martial-arts, although not the same school JJ was familiar with, but she adapted.

Of course, there WAS the strange feeling of waking up snuggled with another woman, and kissing her goodnight and, well, all the touches and affectionate gestures that went along with being a couple. It was much closer to how JJ and Will had behaved than how she had first found Charley and Angela acting. Love was love.

Curiously, Kimberly was gone so much right then with her job, and with both of them tired when she was home, sex had not been on the menu. JJ was VERY relieved. She admitted to herself though that she looked forward to having Kimberly home. It felt wonderful to Abigail and safe for them both to go to sleep in the other woman's arms and wake up there. She felt a gently fierce air of protection from Kimberly and that was good. Abigail needed that.

Then a Friday came and Kimberly was home for the whole weekend. They puttered around the house on Saturday. JJ was delighted to find that Abigail was going to make one of her girlfriend's favorite dishes; a dish that it happened was one of Will's favorite too. She seized the opportunity to assume charge and cooked up a storm. After happily preparing the dish, she slid it into the oven and set the timer. She stood up and balanced back and forth from one bare foot to the other. She was wearing only a loose blouse and panties.

As she stood up, Kimberly's arms circled her and soft lips nuzzled her neck. "I see we have an hour," the Oriental girl whispered. "Why don't we put it to good use? It s been far too long since we made love."

JJ felt the shared body respond, the nipples stiffening as the other girl's fingers brushed over them. She began to squirm back against Kimberly's body. Okay, decided JJ, time for her to back off and practice mental mathematics or something. She definitely was not prepared for this, even after weeks in this body.

To her utter panic, she found she could NOT pull back. Whether it was because she had assumed control so firmly or because of Abigail's submissiveness or some other reason, she was staying right in the forefront of the consciousness. It wasn't Abigail who was feeling what Kimberly was doing, it was Jennifer.

Kimberly spun her around and kissed her. The kiss was open-mouthed and JJ for the first time felt another woman's tongue in her mouth. The other girl's fingers were at the buttons of the blouse she was wearing and in just moments a soft hand touched her breast.

JJ was in a state. Unlike many, even most, other females, she had never had any experience at all with another woman. There had been no experimentation in high school or college, no fumbling in a shared cot at camp. No hurried kisses on a couch in the basement of a sorority house after too much to drink or sitting together on a blanket under the stars after a concert and finding the darkness hid hurried touches and caresses. She had never even practiced kissing with another girl. What was she going to do now?

Kimberly stroked a rapidly hardening nipple. The kiss became deeper, and JJ found herself moaning as the other girl's tongue plunged deeper into her mouth. She sucked in her breath as her lover's fingers wandered down her tummy and brushed over the front of her panties.

No, she didn't want this, she SHOULDN'T want this. But a warm feeling was spreading all through her body and she trembled as a longing, a deeper longing than she thought possible filled her. She was seized by a wild desire to kiss Kimberly back, to touch her in all the secret places she wanted to be touched herself.

"Ding Donggggggg," sang the door bell.

"Ignore it," whispered Kimberly.

"Gladly," was the reply as Abigail wrapped her arms around Kimberly's neck.

The bell was not to be denied. It rang and rang until Kimberly heaved a sigh. "Stay right there," she instructed the other woman and went to the door. There was the sound of the door opening and Abigail could hear voices before Kimberly raised her voice.

"Abigail? Would you come here please? NOW."

Abigail hurried to the front hall. She stopped and covered her mouth. There was the pale face that JJ had seen in her host's memories. With that sighting the memories opened and Abigail cried out to her sister.

"Naomi!"

The pale young girl in the doorway swayed on her feet, her eyes fixed on Abigail. Then she started to crumple. Kimberly caught her and Abigail was beside her in an instant.

"Let's get her to bed," said Abigail. Kimberly nodded and the two women carried the teenager to the spare bedroom and covered her with a comforter. Abigail sat with her sister until the exhausted young woman fell asleep. She continued to sit with her, falling asleep in the chair beside the bed, with her hand holding her sister's. She was vaguely aware of Kimberly slipping in during the night hours to check on both of them.

The next morning she pushed Naomi into the shower and fed her. Kimberly had already called Abigail's office and arranged for some time off for a family emergency. She had done the same herself, but remained in the background while Abigail talked to her sister.

JJ' head was reeling after the chat. She found it almost a great a comfort as Abigail did to be able to hold Kimberly's hand and talk to her about what she had found.

"Naomi's pregnant."

"How old is she?" demanded Kimberly.

"Nearly 19. She's about 3 months along. She won't tell me who the father is." Abigail sighed. "She's really scared of something or other. Apparently she got as far as breaking the news to our parents who were; naturally, appalled when something happened that made her decide to flee."

"How did she get our address?" inquired Kimberly. "Not that I'm not happy to have her here," she added hastily. "She can stay just as long as she wants. But I do have a reason for asking."

"I wrote her several times when we first moved in together. As I suspected, our parents intercepted the letters. But she found one in the trash and got our address from it." Abigail looked anxiously at Kimberly. "Is something wrong?"

"No, darling, and I'm glad she came here. I'm just thinking."

"Of what?"

"She got our address from a letter your parents received. That means they can find us too." Kimberly's face tightened. "I think I better make arrangements to be home the next week or two. As much as possible you should too."

Over the next week Abigail and Kimberly made taking care of Naomi a priority. They arranged for her to see a Doctor, a female Doctor who was a friend of theirs and who pronounced the pregnancy normal. They took her shopping and tried to get her to relax. They braced for the day that was coming.

And that day came. There a pounding on the door one afternoon. Abigail answered it, to be confronted by her parents. And Mr. Thurston. If he had a first name she never knew it and didn't want to know it. He was a lay preacher and their next-door neighbor. JJ dipped into the welter of Abigail's emotions and memories and was surprised at the anger and even hate she felt for the man. There was fear too. What was causing all this?

"Where is she?" demanded her father. Without waiting for an answer he brushed past her. Involuntarily, Abigail stepped back as Thurston approached, allowing the other man to enter. Her mother followed, without a word, but paused to look in her older daughter's eyes. There was gentleness there that Abigail had not remembered seeing in a very long time.

"Where is she?"

"I'm here," announced Naomi softly. She stood in the hallway, having come from her bedroom. Kimberly came immediately behind her and slipped past her. The Oriental girl took in the scene in a flash and her jaw tightened and a look grew in her eyes. JJ recognized that look. She had seen it on her own face in the mirror more than once. It was preparation for battle.

"Naomi, you need to come home."

"Why?"

The simple question seemed to dumfound her father. "Because it s where you belong. It s where we can take care of you. You shouldn't be here."

"Why not? Are you afraid I will be exposed to 'unwholesome influences' as I think you put it when you kicked my sister out of the house? As opposed to the mutters that I heard about being a 'Scarlet Woman'? Here I'm safe. I'm not there."

Thurston spoke up. JJ watched the memories of this mind run through Abigail's mind and began to hate him as much as she did. JJ saw him standing up in front of the church, his voice booming, his face red and his hand pounding on the podium. She heard him call for the 'cleansing of the temple' and saw him pointing at Abigail as he outed her, and called for her condemnation at the same time, demanding her dismissal from the church and her parents too if they stood by her.

"You'll come or your parents will drag you from this den of iniquity."

"What?" demanded Abigail. "You all but break into our apartment and you think you can claim... what? That we kidnapped my sister?"

"We'll call the police," declared Thurston. "Who do you think they will believe?"

Kimberly laughed out loud, merrily but with a hard edge to her laughter. She crossed to the desk in the corner and retrieved a small leather folder. Holding it up, she displayed an ID card and a badge. "Special Agent Kailess of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Would you like to use our phone to make that call?"

Thurston shut up. Something was stirring in Abigail's mind and JJ examined the lay preacher neighbor. Based on what she had learned through Abigail's memories, Thurston, although being a self-righteous ass as always, was not nearly the loud-mouthed gospel shouter he usually was. He was practically subdued. Not at all like him.

A suspicion grew. Abigail was unsure of why he was being so much quieter than usual, but that was overlaid by her fear of him. JJ wasn't afraid of him at all and her law enforcement trained instincts were screaming at her. She observed Thurston. She observed Naomi. Her suspicions crystallized. Without thinking she spoke through Abigail.

"I'll be da..." she bit off the rest of the final word.

"What?"

Surprising JJ, Abigail surged to the forefront, brushing JJ aside. But Naomi WAS Abigail's sister after all. Finally something had triggered the other woman's determination and JJ knew she was about to make a stand as she crossed to stand in front of her sister.

"Naomi, I know."

"You know? Know what?" demanded their father.

"I was talking to Naomi," she called over her shoulder. She looked in her sister's eyes. "Honey, I KNOW. Stop taking the blame for this. You're hurting yourself. You're even hurting Mother and Father. They deserve to know." She turned and looked at Thurston, who paled.

"Oh God, you do know," Naomi whispered.

"Yes. Tell them."

"Tell us what?" Anger had faded from their father's face, replaced by puzzlement, and yes, JJ noted, uneasiness of his own. He made no repeat of the statement he had made a year ago of Abigail never calling him "Father" again.

"Don't," came a half plea, half command from the other male in the room.

"Don't what?" The girls' mother demanded. Suddenly she took a sharp breath. "Oh God."

"WHAT?" This time it was a plea from their father

"Tell him, Naomi. Mom's already figured it out."

Naomi took a deep breath and pointed. "HIM. He's the father." Her finger, like the finger of doom, was directed right at Thurston.

There was a long moment of shocked silence, and then the explosion.

"You little bitch!"

Raging, Thurston surged forward and tried to push past Abigail to get at Naomi. Abigail dug in her heels and stood firm, protecting her younger sister.

"You keep away from her." Abigail spread her arms.

"Don't touch me, you pervert," Thurston spat. "If it wasn't for you this wouldn't have happened." He turned his head to look at the stunned parents. "I was only trying to make sure that Naomi didn't end up like this," he groped for suitable words, "This THING."

"I'm the pervert?" Abigail was as cool and collected as JJ had ever felt her. "At least I don't try to blame my actions on someone else and then hide from my responsibilities."

Thurston jerked his gaze back to the woman blocking his way. "You fucking queer. How dare you lecture me?"

JJ pulled another piece of the puzzle from Abigail's repressed memories. "How dare I? You didn't succeed when you tried to seduce me so you tried to ruin my life, drive me from my family and then you turn your attentions on my sister. You're scum."

Abigail never saw the hand coming. She certainly felt the open handed slap that rocked her back on her heels for a moment. Stunned, she touched her fingers to her cheek.

Kimberly started forward, eyes blazing. "Why you son-of-a-bitch, I'll kick your ass."

Abigail held out a hand, her palm up. "No Kimberly. Wait. This is something I need to handle."

Thurston had stepped back, his face ashen. He stared at his hand as though he could not believe what he had just done. Momentarily he flinched as Abigail stepped forward. She stopped, once more within arms reach of him. She looked into his eyes and lowered her hands, which she had instinctively formed into fists. She said nothing, but turned her head, offering the other side of her face.

"Oh GOD," came from her mother.

Her father stepped forward, looking unbelieving from his daughters to his best friend. "You," he looked at Thurston, "You were the one who told us how wrong Abigail was, how she was wicked and defiant against God. You counseled us that forgiveness was out of the question; some things could never be atoned for. And now this." He was visibly torn between wanting to spring at Thurston, who paled even more and backed up, and going to his daughters. He looked at Abigail and Naomi and his eyes filled with tears. He stepped between his daughters and fell to his knees. An arm went around each waist and he pulled them to him. "Forgive me."

Crying, the two girls pulled their father to his feet. Abigail touched his face. Tears ran down all their faces, including their mother as she joined them. "There is nothing to forgive Father."

Thurston found his voice. "Don't do this. You can't accept what she is. It s wrong." He stopped abruptly as Kimberly stalked up to him.

"Wrong? What's wrong is a man who takes advantage of a family and their trust to have sex with an 18 year old girl. What's wrong is a man who won't own up to his responsibilities and actions. What's wrong is a man who uses God to reinforce his own prejudices." The young Oriental woman's face blazed in anger. "Now, you get out of here before I lose my temper. In fact," she turned and nearly ran to the desk, "Where the hell is my service weapon?"

The man paled and ran out the door, slamming it behind him. In the midst of her huddled family, Abigail, her emotions at the breaking point, could not keep from laughing. "Kimberly, your service weapon is in the bedroom where you always keep it."

The other girl laughed and winked. "You know that and I know that but he didn't. And I really didn't want to go get it."

The foursome untangled. Abigail looked back and forth from her parents to her lover. Kimberly approached the family.

"My name is Kimberly, and I love your daughter."

"Hello Kimberly," replied Abigail's mother. She took a tentative step and then embraced her older daughter's lover.

Abigail's father joined them. "Kimberly," he said hesitantly. "Please forgive me. It s hard to overcome the attitudes of many years. Although I see the man who reinforced them was doing so for his own purposes, still, it's hard to just suddenly let those ideas go. Please understand. I see that you make my daughter happy, happier certainly than I have done in a long time, but, it will take time to accept all this." He looked at Abigail. "But I promise you, you both, that I will work at it."

The family spent the next few days together. It would be a gross exaggeration to say that all was well when the parents returned home, taking Naomi with them. But a start had been made at repairing the damage to all of them. Abigail was happier than JJ had ever known her.

That evening the two women relaxed and opened a bottle of wine with supper. Behind her smiles, Abigail hid a growing excitement that had caught JJ up in it. Abigail was in control but JJ was trembling inside her at what the woman had planned for her lover, and how much JJ was excited by the idea. She watched Kimberly through Abigail's eyes. The shapely Oriental girl wore tight gym shorts and a casual top that kept slipping off one shoulder or the other.

Abigail, and JJ as well in fact, was rapidly reaching a boiling point. She could not tear her eyes from her girlfriend. Fortunately, she had made plans for this and proceeded to put them into execution. Slipping up behind Kimberly, she cupped the other girl's bottom in one hand and squeezed. The startled gasp was very satisfactory. Giving a hearty chuckle, Abigail darted towards the hall.

"Why you little tease," Kimberly laughed and pursued Abigail down the hall and into the bedroom. Abigail had slipped behind the door and pounced as her girlfriend came through the doorway. Caught by surprise, the female Agent was propelled backwards onto the bed. Her legs hit the mattress and she sprawled out as Abigail leaped on top of her.

"Abigail!" Kimberly looked up in delighted surprise as the other woman captured her right hand and lifted it to the headboard. A quick flurry and Kimberly felt a nylon stocking wrap around her wrist. She tugged on it in delight as Abigail proceeded to bind her left hand.

"Oh my," Kimberly twisted her head to examine her bonds. "May I ask how you plan on getting my top off now?"

Abigail ignored her lover as she knelt between Kimberly's legs. Instead she concentrated on tugging the other girl's shorts and panties down, meanwhile shedding her own clothes. As she triumphantly tossed Kimberly's panties to one side she seized a shapely leg and looped yet another stocking around the ankle.

"Oh my GOD," the Oriental girl moaned in delicious excitement as Abigail finished tying her to the bed. "I don't know where this came from darling, but where have you been hiding this side of you?"

"It s been around." Abigail smiled. "I just needed to let her out." She caught the hem of Kimberly's shirt and pulled it up, spilling the Oriental girl's breasts free. "Oh my," she said in mock surprise. "I CAN'T get it off." With that she pulled the top over Kimberly's head, effectively blindfolding her lover. "I suppose it will just have to do there." A muffled laugh mixed with excitement was the only answer she received.

"Now then, my second surprise." Abigail fished beside the bed and retrieved a can. Giggling, she touched the tip against Kimberly's throat and pushed it sideways. White foam spurted and the other girl jumped.

"What's that? It s cold!"

Abigail leaned down and ran her tongue through the white creamy foam. "Whipped cream." she whispered. She licked it off then took the can again and sprayed down Kimberly's chest, drawing a line between the Oriental girl's breasts. Then came two quick shots to the hard nipples, followed by a liberal dousing around the navel.

"Oh this is almost as much fun as licking it off," chortled Abigail, as Kimberly thrashed and squirmed. "Well," she corrected herself as she drug her tongue down Kimberly's chest, "Almost." Then she had her mouth fastened on a pert breast and said no more for a while.

Abigail cleaned Kimberly's nipples carefully, her tongue darting from one to the other and scooping the whipped cream from them. She battered them back and forth, then carefully and gently closed her teeth on one. A deep satisfied moan from her lover spurred her on. She tightened her grip, almost but not quite crunching it and lifted her head. Bit by bit she stretched the hard nubbin. Kimberly arched under her and shuddered.

"Oh yes, please Abigail," the female federal agent gasped. The other girl shifted her attention and captured the other brown tip. This time she bit hard to begin with and then whipped the firm little breast around.

"So good, so good," came the whispered approval.

Abigail bit hard once more and then buried her face between Kimberly's breasts. She lapped down, leaving a broad wet streak before plunging into the cream surrounded navel. Now her girlfriend giggled and squirmed. Abigail loved it, and JJ admitted that this was both very exciting, and a lot of fun too.

Now Abigail trailed her lips over the swell of Kimberly's mound. JJ found herself almost disappointed when the young woman avoided her lover's pussy, instead focusing her attention of the smooth inside of one firm thigh. From there the soft kisses and licks proceeded down, causing much more twisting and pulling on the bonds. Nibbles at the back of one knee produced gasps that only got louder as long slow tongue strokes went down the back of the shapely calf to the ankle. Abigail shifted sideways and repeated her actions, moving up until finally she was between the other girl's legs.

JJ was lost. She desperately wanted Kimberly as much as her lover did. Although she, in Charley's body, had gone down on Angela as she taught him what to do to please his wife, this was different. The subtle scent of a woman to another woman. The taste of the nectar slipping down from between the smooth labia before her lips. The trembling of the firm body before her, it all aroused her to a fever pitch.

A single kiss started it. Long and slow, covering Kimberly's pussy. Then a shower of quick kisses all over her wetness and finally a quick thrust of her tongue into the Oriental girl's dripping love channel. Whether it was Abigail, whether it was JJ, it mattered not. Together they licked and kissed, sucked and tongued, driving the other woman to thrash about on the bed.

Abigail dropped a hand between her own legs. Already soaking wet herself, she strummed her hard clit even as she sought her lover's. Her lips closed over Kimberly's pearl and she sucked it while her tongue lashed the exposed tip. Her thumb kept time with her tongue as she strove to bring her lover and herself to the edge at the same time.

Kimberly was gasping, moaning, and crying out. JJ felt Abigail's body buck and strove to help her host maintain control until the other woman broke. Finally Kimberly screamed in hoarse delight and together the two women in the same body felt the flood upon their lips, running into their mouth. A plunge of two fingers into their own shared pussy and a few twists brought Abigail's shuddering body to orgasm along with Kimberly.

The days that followed were happy. The two women went back to work, but made time for each other. Abigail started going to church with the Episcopalian Kimberly. They visited Naomi, and were welcomed with love by Abigail's mother and father. Abigail's mom confided how her dad had told off the congregation of her church for their previous actions and publicly regretted his own. Thurston was gone. A new, full-time pastor had taken his place and the women found him warm and wise and full of understanding.

JJ had lost track of the date. They were out dining one evening when Kimberly commented to their waiter about the sparse crowd.

"It s Halloween!" the young man replied. "No one's stirring if they can avoid it."

"I had forgotten," admitted Kimberly. "Well," she paid the bill and they got ready to go. "It s not far to our car, just right around the corner and," she slipped her hand inside her shoulder bag, "I think we'll be alright."

The two women left and turned beside the building. Their heels clicked on the concrete. Although both darted looks into the shadows, neither saw the man until he was right in front of them.

"Hello, girls" he sneered as he flourished his knife.

"Oh, Hi," brightly responded Kimberly. The killer blinked. This wasn't the reaction he expected.

"Oh, by the way," Kimberly's hand came from the shoulder bag. Light shone dully on the finish of her service weapon. "I'm a Federal Officer and you are under arrest. Drop the knife and back up."

Staring unbelievingly, the man did as he was told. Kimberly stepped forward to kick the knife away and fate took a hand. Her foot slipped and she staggered, trying to catch her balance. She toppled backwards, striking her head a glancing blow on the corner of the car. Her service weapon fell from her hand. A dark chuckle came from the man and he picked up his knife and advanced on the dazed woman.

"NO!" screamed Abigail. The man ignored her as he crouched over, reached for her lover. Then it was his turn to stumble as Abigail slammed a snap-kick into his side. She followed up her first assault, punching and kicking as she had been taught, forcing him away from Kimberly. He tried to regain his balance, waving the knife in front of him. She went into a full spin and drove her foot against him with all her strength.

The killer collapsed to the ground. Abigail looked at him with shock. Her kick had caught his wrist and turned the knife back against him. He lay there, his eyes open and unblinking, the hilt jutting from his chest.

The light-headedness and the feeling of being pulled away were familiar to JJ now. She watched from the side as Abigail snatched up Kimberly's weapon and kept one eye on the downed killer as she scrambled to check on her girlfriend. The quick inspection must have had a satisfactory outcome as Abigail let out a heart-felt "Whew!" and her body relaxed somewhat. Still keeping watch on the motionless man, she dug in her purse and used her cell phone.

JJ became aware that Seth was standing beside her even as her ears caught the distant growl of sirens. "Time to go," he said quietly as he touched her arm.

"Wait," protested JJ. "What is going to happen to them? Are they going to be alright?"

"I certainly hope so, but I don't know. I do know that Abigail is much stronger now than she was. She's made some peace with her family and she'll have Kimberly with her as she deals with having taken someone's life. There are decisions ahead of her and I don't know which direction she might choose."

JJ was confused. "You said something about Angela and Charley's children. That implies that you know something of the future. I don't understand. Is the future already written? Is it predestined?"

"Good questions which I'm not sure I can answer. God knows the future. But his seeing it is not the same as his making it happen. Sometimes he reveals things, sometimes he doesn't. In Kimberly and Abigail's case I just don't know." Seth's manner became brisk. "Now then. That's two down."

"And one more time to go," breathed Jennifer.

"This one is going to be hard," warned Seth. "But you can do it."

"Then let's go."

(To be continued) 


	4. Chapter 4

Deja-Vu by patricia51

Chapter 4

(Good golly I am SO sorry to have left this hanging so long. There are reasons but rather than go into them I just promise the concluding chapter will be up very soon now that I'm unstuck.)

Good Lord, there was no warm soothing shower this time. She ached, seemingly in every inch of this body. It was female again though so there was a plus. She opened her eyes.

For a moment everything seemed out of proportion. She blinked, and then realized what the problem was. She was looking at everything in a regular looking bedroom from a lower than usual angle. That perspective was explained when she looked down. She was in a wheelchair.

Letting the muscle memory take over she rolled herself to the bathroom, which was equipped with the necessary grab bars and such to allow her to first go to the bathroom and then take a pretty unsatisfactory shower. That did give her an opportunity to examine most of the body she was now sharing with someone else whose name was coming to mind yet.

What she saw made her heart sink. Obviously there had been spinal damage and the legs were useless. The scars didn't surprise her. But the muscles were atrophied and the legs looked positively skeletal.

The arms were skinny too. In fact Sheila, the name suddenly came to her, seemed to have no surplus flesh at all. She was pretty much flat-chested as well Jennifer noted. Not that she had that much to boast of in her own body but golly.

Sheila's face? Once she had dried off and hoisted herself back into the wheelchair she took a look over the sink when the woman turned the chair to roll back into the bedroom.

That wasn't good. The mirror was nothing but slivers of glass around the edges. There were no fragments laying around so whatever had happened had been some time ago. But it was an ominous sign, reinforced when JJ saw no mirrors at all or even anything reflective as she rolled herself out to the tiny kitchenette and made breakfast. The breakfast consisted of black coffee and toast. No wonder Sheila was so skinny. But there was more than that JJ was sure.

It was when the woman was dropping the bread in the toaster that JJ first caught her glimpse of her face in the dented chrome side. It wasn't the greatest view but it did show her enough.

"Seth!" she thought. "I need to talk to you. Now. Please?"

There was the familiar disorientation and she was standing beside Sheila, who seemed to be frozen. She wasn't of course it just meant time had been stopped. The angel was beside her.

"Seth, I need to know what is going on."

For a moment the calm serenity left the angel's face as he and JJ together studied the woman in the wheelchair.

"This is your biggest challenge Jennifer. Sheila Martinez has been betrayed by those she trusted above all and by a system that has failed her repeatedly. She has lost faith in everything including God but most importantly in herself. She has reached the bottom and she has given up. You must help her."

"How?"

As the old man, whom JJ more and more suspected she knew just who he was, had done Seth waved his hand and images sprung up in front of her. Sheila; unscarred, attractive and fit looking in a desert camouflage uniform stood, holding a little girl in her arms. She leaned her head against a tall man and a slightly older boy had his arms wrapped around her leg.

"Don't worry honey. I'll be careful. Fifteen months seems like forever but it will pass."

"I know," the man said and kissed her. "We'll be waiting."

"I love you Mommy," chimed in the little boy.

The image faded and another one took its place. Sheila was talking to another woman, also in battledress.

"Dot I don't know what's going on. The letters have dried up and the last three times I called there was no answer. Not even the answering machine and when I try to Skype there's no one there. I'm worried."

Time seemed to pass. Sheila was standing in front of a desk, an older man looking at her with sympathy.

"Divorced? How can I be divorced? And what in the world is this restraining order First Sergeant? And an order for child and spousal support that is ninety-five percent of my take-home pay?"

"I don't know Specialist Martinez. But I'll arrange for you to see a JAG officer when you return from this last convoy. Maybe a good lawyer can straighten this out."

The scene shifted to a dusty road. This time there were no words; only the sound and sight of a sudden explosion and a wave of fire coming toward Sheila even as she threw up her arm to attempt to shield her face.

After that the images came quickly as though there was only so much time to spare. JJ saw Sheila in a military hospital in Afghanistan and then at Walter Reed. She saw the other woman being told she had been released from active duty and that from then on any rehabilitation would be the responsibility of the VA and that aid never materializing. She saw Sheila trying to get back to New Mexico, finding she was destitute and her children had been told she was dead. Attempts to contact them were blocked and she was subtlety but firmly warned that her coming back to her home town would not end well for her.

JJ wondered how could someone like Sheila could possibly be the target of so much anger, even hatred to treat her as she had been treated it. She rapidly shifted through Sheila's memories to see if there was anything there that could, even misguidedly, merit such treatment. She found nothing. Sheila Martinez was a fine mother, a good wife and a proud member of the New Mexico National Guard. What was going on?

Anger had sprouted in JJ and was rapidly approaching the point that she genuinely wanted to tear someone a new one. Suddenly that anger disappeared, gone in an instant. There was no time for that. Not now. She knew why she was here at this time and place. An icy hand gripped her heart as she realized why Sheila had retrieved a bottle of hoarded pain-killers from a drawer.

Frantically she attempted to take control. Nothing happened."Seth!" she called out.

The angel didn't appear but she heard his voice. "Jennifer you cannot stop her physically. That would only last until you relinquished control. You must convince her. Talk to her."

"Won't she think I'm just another voice in her mind? Won't that make her feel completely crazy?"

"Do not worry Jennifer. Just talk to her."

JJ mustered her determination, a determination that had been honed by everything that had happened in her own life. She too had suffered physically, mentally and emotionally. She too had lost those she loved. And she knew there was no chance of getting her family back but maybe, just maybe there was a chance for Sheila or she wouldn't be here. She spoke somehow deep in the other woman's conscious mind.

"Sheila STOP!"

Seth's reassurance proved true, although she should have known better than to doubt him. Instead of freaky out Sheila seemed to act as though Jennifer's voice in her head was simply another part of her mind arguing with her.

"Why? What's left?"

"We're left. And Tommy and Christine are left. As well as a certain ex-husband, that sumbitch David. We've taken it long enough. Now it's time we started fighting back."

"What do we do first?" Somehow, without feeling like she had lost her mind Sheila seemed to accept JJ's voice in her head as perhaps her conscience, anyway, as a part of her that needed to be listened to.

JJ pondered for a moment before remembering something she had heard mentioned one night. "First we get our head squared away. There's so much bottled up that needs to come out. Just like an infection it has to be drained. And the way to do that is to talk to someone."

Sheila protested but JJ held firm. Before long they had left the shabby apartment building and were on their way to Walter Reed, where support counselors both active and veteran came each night as volunteers. There wouldn't be any cost.

The bus ride wasn't that long and something nice happened. A pair of young women helped Sheila on the bus and stayed until she reached her destination even though it meant they were going to have to backtrack to their own stop. JJ was pleased that Sheila was grateful and expressed her thanks.

"See? Not everyone is an ass."

"Maybe not."

There was a moment of panic when they reached the peer counseling site and Sheila nearly bolted. But a man who looked to be in his late 40's smiled and came over.

"Hi. You're new. I'm Paul Wingate and it's nice to meet you." Chatting lightly he got Sheila to sign in and fill out a simple form before he guided her to a private room. He pulled a chair from behind a desk and sat down so he was facing her with nothing between them but not so close as to make Sheila uncomfortable.

"Now, talk to me Sheila. I obviously can see some of what bothers you but I can tell there's a lot more. Don't worry, you won't, in fact can't say anything I haven't heard before and a lot of it I may have experienced myself. So let's go."

Sheila was hesitant about starting but once she did get going the words poured out. As she described her situation and how she had arrived at it JJ, a trained observer, watched Paul's face. From initial sympathy he went through disbelief and then anger that matched JJ's own. He didn't interrupt Sheila but took advantage of pauses to reassure her she was no longer alone.

They were still talking when a head poked in to announce the clinic's closing time. Paul looked frustrated and then nodded.

"Sheila I'm not ready to stop yet. How about we go get some coffee and maybe a bite to eat? There's a diner just outside and around the corner."

JJ had already judged Paul as being completely trustworthy but remained silent to let Sheila decide. She was pleased when shortly they found themselves parked at a table in a warm, friendly appearing place where a waitress greeted Paul by name.

The food was simple but filling and tasty and just exactly what Sheila needed, having been subsisting on what she could buy with her tiny disability pension. They gave full attention to their food until they finished and only then did Paul speak.

"Sheila, generally the talks we have at the counseling center are informal and no record is kept other than your attendance. I would like to make an exception. I would like to take some notes because not only has there been some, to be more charitable than I feel right now, 'accidents' involving your status and records I suspect there is some genuine malfeasance and conspiracy taking place. I would like to turn this over to a friend for investigation. May I?"

Sheila had just nodded agreement when a shadow fell over their table. They looked up to see a pair of young men. It wasn't their obviously drunkenness that raised the hackles on the back of JJ's neck but rather the meanness in their eyes.

"Damn Bubba, you ever seen an uglier looking woman?" the one on the right began.

"Not just hit with the stick but the whole damn ugly tree," responded the second. "Hey why don't you keep that ugly face out of the view of the public?"

Angered, Paul started to stand up. The first one pushed him back.

"Sit down old man. We wasn't talking to you. If you know what's good for you you'll keep your mouth shut."

A chair scraped somewhere out of Sheila's sight.

"Funny," a deep voice rumbled. "I was going to make the same suggestion to you two assholes."

The pair spun around. Their mouths opened. Standing in front of them was a tall muscular man whose "high and tight" haircut marked him as most likely military or ex-military. His arms folded he glared at the two young men as though they were something he needed to scrape off his shoe.

"Hey butt out," one of the tormentors said, although rather weakly. "We was just having some fun."

More chairs scraped and three more well-built men similar to the first one joined their friend. One of the new arrivals spoke.

"We like fun too. And one of our ideas of fun is pounding little piss-ants like you who don't respect their betters into ground up chicken feed. However since our food might get cold in the meantime we're going to allow you two to start running. NOW!"

JJ had never actually seen anyone disappear in a cloud of dust, especially in a city but the two young men managed it. The moment they were out of the door and heading down the street like the road runner the four men approached the table. The first man spoke again.

"Are you alright Miss? Sir?"

Paul found his voice first. He checked Sheila with a quick look and then nodded. "Yes, thank you very much."

"Our pleasure." The man took a closer look at Sheila but it was not one that was offensive or impolite. He nodded now as though satisfied about something."

"Afghanistan?" It really wasn't a question.

"Yes," Sheila replied softly.

"Army?"

"Army National Guard."

"Miss we're Marines assigned to the HQ here and this situation just passed now is more than our pleasure, it's our honor. We and solders sometimes tease each other but we are delighted to meet a sister-in-arms and privileged to have had this opportunity to assist you."

"Thank you."

"Our honor."

In the end they escorted Sheila back to her apartment. There was no sign of the young men. As pissed as JJ was about the punks actions she was pleased at the Marines' action and their demonstration again to Sheila that good people were still around.

That morning they rose early and actually made breakfast. As the dishes were being done the doorbell rang. After checking the peep hole she opened the door.

A tall, handsome man in uniform stood there.

"Specialist Martinez I'm Major Lucas Provo, US Army JAG Corps. May I come in?"

Sheila nodded. "Please. Have a seat." JJ was actually pleased to see that Sheila was embarrassed by the state of the apartment and encouraged the other woman's silent resolution to clean up.

"Thank you." Ignoring most of the clutter the officer moved a pile from one end of the couch and sat. He perched his briefcase on his knees and looked at her. JJ was happy to see that the Major looked her in the face steadily and without any expression of repugnance. "I'm a friend of Paul Wingate, the VA counselor you talked to. In fact I usually spend two evenings there a week myself helping out."

Sheila must have looked surprised for the man smiled gently. He tapped a badge of some kind on his chest. Jennifer had no idea what it was but Sheila recognized it immediately and JJ felt the respect that flooded through the other woman.

"I wasn't always a lawyer Ms. Martinez. Once upon a time I was an Infantry Platoon Leader and saw close combat and the things that happen during it that still haunt me and everyone else who saw them. Including you. But for right now I would like to concentrate on your situation. Paul gave me the basic facts but I need to hear the whole story from you."

Sheila launched into the whole tale. JJ was glad. Telling parts of it to Paul had loosened the dam that the injured woman had erected to keep the pain, and all other emotions, out of her conscious mind. With this telling the dam was beginning to give way. The agent understood why Sheila had done that but also knew healing wouldn't start until those feelings were faced.

JJ kept a close eye on the military lawyer's face. Trained investigator that she was she noted the play of emotions on his face. First there was interest, followed by disbelief. She was relieved to see the disbelief was not aimed at Sheila but rather at the situation the crippled woman was pouring out. Sometime around the telling of her discharge and her abrupt removal from the hospital a dark thundercloud of anger began to grow. By the time Sheila finished it looked like steam was blowing out of Provo's ears. But he remained calm.

"Ms. Martinez do you have the documents you received in Afghanistan regarding your divorce?" She shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. The attack came right after and where my stuff from back at the Forward Operating Base ended up I have no idea."

"I understand. How about your discharge papers?"

"Yes, those I have." Sheila wheeled herself into the kitchenette and rummaged through a drawer. She pulled out a large envelope. "Here they are."

Major Provo quickly looked through the, Nodding he pulled out a notebook and scribbled in it before tearing the sheet of paper out. "This will give me a start." He passed over the piece of paper. "Here's a receipt for your documents."

He stood and stretched, placing Sheila's paperwork in his briefcase. "I need to take care of some things and I need to get some paperwork together that I will need you to sign authorizing me to act on your behalf. Could I bring those by tomorrow afternoon?"

"Certainly," Sheila said softly.

"Fine," He gave her a smile and it even warmed JJ. "I don't want to start promising things Ms Martinez but something is rotten in the state of Denmark here and I'm going to do my darndest to look into it." He nodded and let himself out.

Sheila looked at the door. "Damn, he's CUTE," she said aloud and then shook her head. She knew no man that attractive would ever be interested in her. But still JJ felt something in the other woman she hadn't felt since her arrival here. She felt hope.

Looking around the apartment she frowned. "Good," JJ thought, "about time." When the thought that she really should clean up crossed Sheila's mind again JJ jumped right in with a "Damn straight" and they got to work.

Bedtime was early tonight and the nightmares stayed at bay. They got up early as well and when they were done the apartment looked better than it had since Sheila had moved in. JJ even coaxed the woman into brushing her hair out and dressing a little nicer.

It was shortly after lunch that Major Provo returned. He spread some papers on the newly cleaned coffee table.

"First, I need you to sign this paper, which will allow me to act on your behalf. I confess I already have been quite busy this morning doing just that but this makes it official."

Once that action had been taken care of the Major slid other papers in front of Sheila.

"This is a notification that your release from active duty was in error and you are being returned to active status and reassigned to the Patient Detachment at Walter Reed. We'll get you out of this place and back into proper quarters and you can now receive proper treatment for your injuries/ I'm already in a fight with Finance about your back pay but regardless you will start drawing your base pay plus separate rations and quarters allowance as of today."

He sat back. "The next item of business is that I have started an investigation into your discharge. I've talked to the Mobilization/Demobilization Station at the post your unit was released back into National Guard status and the JAG and CID there are looking into how you went from being reported as "Absent in Hospital" to "Present for Duty" the day the until was demobilized. Very fishy."

"Do you know Lieutenant Colonel Davis Winfield at State Headquarters in New Mexico?" Sheila shook her head. "He's a law school friend of mine who is a National Guard JAG officer. He's coming on active duty to start an Article 31 investigation into the military side of what's happened to you. Several members of your unit are being recalled for that. That puts them back under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and he and I are betting someone is going to roll over before the dust clears. Also since Davis is licensed to practice law in your home state he can investigate the civilian side of things with me."

That very afternoon a van arrived and took Sheila and her meager belongings to her new quarters. They were cramped and crowded and so much better than where she had been that her spirits lifted already.

A little over a week after she had been recalled to active duty and returned to Walter Reed Sheila had just finished a grueling exercise routine aimed at strengthening her legs and arms. She was examining the food on her tray. JJ was even more dubious than Sheila was. No wonder the Army fought wars, the FBI Agent had decided. It was to get away from food like this. However it WAS better than anything Sheila had been making on her own so she encouraged the other woman to eat it.

The door opened and Major Provo came in, today wearing the standard camouflage uniform. By now JJ had learned the insignia on his chest that looked like an old time rifle with a wreath around it was a Combat Infantryman's Badge. Since JAG officers weren't eligible for those it meant the lawyer had previous served as an infantryman in combat before law school. No wonder Sheila respected him.

"I just dropped by to tell you I'm on the way out to New Mexico. I have a lot of questions to put to people who are not going to be happy I'm asking them but that's the way it goes. Hang in there and I have to say that you already look better. Hopefully you'll be even better when I get back."

JJ had been encouraging Sheila day in and day out. Her host was sternly holding down getting too carried away with hope, having suffered such blows but that someone doing something for her and the results already gained had kindled a fire in the handicapped woman. JJ was glad. She was focused on the present too but she never forgot that she was here for a reason; that eventually Sheila would be playing some key role in stopping the Halloween Killer.

"Count on Major."

"Good."

The therapy sessions and the better, comparatively, food and the definite better living conditions were having an effect every day. Sheila was already stronger and each goal she and the rehabilitation workers set for she reached made her even more determined to reach the next one even sooner. All JJ had to do was sit back for the ride; and ache each morning with the other woman as she pushed herself.

It was two more weeks before the Major returned. He offered quick apologies, explaining not only had he been investigating in her home town but he had been filing motions in District Federal Court as well as opening the military side of the investigation.

"I have to say Specialist that some of the people in your home town are not paragons of hospitality, including a couple of law enforcement officers. The first time I went to the courthouse after visiting your old armory I was told the files I wanted to see were 'not available'. I was perfectly agreeable and smiled. The person was very relieved until I got her name 'for the Federal subpoenas' I was coming back with soon. Then I was met by a deputy sheriff and a city police officer who seemed intent of giving me a hard time."

"Bill Martinez and Stan Kirsch," Sheila said with certainty. "My former brother-in-law and my exec's best friend." She thought for a moment. "And Stan's cousin Daniel Kirsch is the full time administrative technician at our Guard unit."

Provo nodded. "A friend of yours, whose name I shall keep to myself for right now, had warned me about that possibility when I first started making phone calls before flying there. So I had brought along my own back-up, a pair of US Marshals whom I had worked with on another case and who had become friends of mine. They were technically off-duty but no one really thought to question their status and the local boys backed off with a lot of worry on their faces and probably a lot of regret already that they helped your ex. Not as sorry as they're going to be though, especially as you confirm my guess that Kirsch is probably who forged your 'present for duty' status."

"Anyway the next day I was able to get the court records I wanted. To put it bluntly, your ex and his friends are screwed. The illegalities and improprieties are mind-bending. That includes the court that granted the divorce for 'desertion' claiming you couldn't be found on one hand and then forwarding the papers right to your unit and ordering the garnishment of your pay for child support on the other. And of course the judge who is your exec's uncle and should have removed himself from the case."

Provo paused and looked at Sheila. "I have a question. How hard to you want to go after these people? Your ex is one thing; what he did to you is inexcusable. His new wife is stunned by his actions, not to mention that I can get your divorce declared null and void due to the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act. That means her marriage would be invalid but right now I think she wouldn't care."

Sheila thought and JJ thought with her. She wanted vindication and she wanted her children back. She was never going back there but at the same time she didn't want anyone else ever taken advantage of as she had been.

"I want my children. As mercenary as it sounds I want my money back; if not the child support, which I never begrudged but the so-called alimony as well as the joint savings he ran off with. I want enough publicity and punishment to ensure this never happens again. But I don't want lives ruined forever like I believed mine was by prison terms. Well, maybe my ex but that's because I want to make sure he never comes back trying to take the kids from me."

The officer smiled. "Done." He turned serious. "There is one thing. You need to come back to New Mexico with me. It's important to face these people to get closure. Don't worry; I'll be with you the entire time."

Sheila lifted her chin and JJ was proud of her. "I'm not afraid of anything anymore."

"I hope that's true," the FBI Agent thought to herself as a sudden chill ran through her."

The trip back to what was once home was frightening but not as bad as Sheila had feared. There were no trials to sit through. Her husband s buddies caved like a row of dominoes, each laying the blame on somebody else but mostly on him. She even met with her replacement, now also his ex. It turned out she was nearly as much of a victim as Sheila herself was.

"He can be a charming sob," the woman confessed. "He had me believing every word he said even when some things seemed to contradict other things."

"He can indeed," Sheila agreed. "He had me fooled as well, thinking I was his one and only forever love."

Several people lost their jobs and the local judge abruptly retired. Her ex pleaded out to conspiracy to commit fraud. Because of the military connection it was deemed a Federal crime and he got prison time although in a minimum security facility for white-collar criminals.

Sheila didn't care. The most important thing was her reunion with her children and the notice that she was given unconditional sole custody and could take them back to DC with her. A beaming Provo helped make the arrangements for the travel and school transfer as well as getting them settled into quarters.

JJ was happy for her host. She sternly repressed any attempt by jealousy to rear its ugly head. It WAS hard knowing that Sheila now had got something back that JJ herself never would but the FBI Agent never let it interfere with her pleasure that the sorely tested woman was happy once more.

Time almost slipped away from them. Sheila would never walk again but her physical therapy had her in excellent shape and plastic surgery had erased the worst of her facial scarring. She was officially retired from the US Army on permanent disability. Surprising no one who saw them together Major Luke Provo found her a position with a local law firm as an entry level clerk. She also started night school, aiming to complete her bachelor's degree and then apply to law school herself.

There was no need to seek out services of a baby sitter. Not only was a certain Army lawyer, whom the children already adored, available there was a second sitter nearby. In what WAS a completely surprising move her husband's second ex-wife Dorothy had found work in DC. She had two daughters from a previous marriage as well. Sheila's two had got along well together and the kids had grown fond of her and each other. So it was no surprise at all when they were invited to Dorothy's youngest's birthday party on Halloween.

JJ was seriously on edge when the family arrived at the party. A local pool, closed now for the season, had a nice pavilion overlooking a park behind it with a trail leading down the fairly steep hill to it. The parking lot was brightly lit and abutted on a well-traveled highway. She had seriously considered trying to talk Sheila out of coming here but had decided not to do so. Once more as the time grew closer and closer to the confrontation JJ knew was coming her influence with Sheila had faded till it was nearly zero. And most important, the FBI agent knew she was here for a reason and Sheila's presence was necessary for whatever plan was in the works. She hoped there was a plan anyway. But she was only an observer now. So she prayed.

The party went well. A couple of fathers were present which made JJ feel better. Luke, the name Sheila felt more and more comfortable using, had promised her would come but would almost certainly be late. Like Sheila, JJ wished he was here although for a different reason. Everyone was aware of the Halloween Killer but obviously only JJ was certain that this was where he was going to strike.

The party finished and the other parents and children drifted away. Sheila, Dorothy and the four children cleaned up. The birthday girl and her sister had taken a trash bag out to the garbage cans on the park side of the pavilion when it happened.

JJ's stretched nerves almost snapped when Dorothy screamed. Through the windows Sheila could see a dark shrouded figure with a huge knife in his hand and evil in his eyes. There was an instant when the trio outside could have possibly retreated to the pavilion itself but the younger girl panicked and ran down the trail, followed instantly by her sister. Dorothy went after them, obviously determined to stay between the killer and her daughters. And the man laughed and pursued.

Without a thought Sheila spun her wheelchair and charged after the killer. Her phone was on the table and she yelled to her daughter to call 911 and lock the door after her. She whipped outside to the top of the trail and without hesitation plunged down it. The ground was rough and she couldn't get much speed but she closed on her target as they were going downhill and he had to be careful of his footing. Then one wheel caught a tree limb and she was spilled on to the ground. Pain shot through her body as the crash seemed to jar every inch of her body.

With a force of will Sheila never thought she could manage she stuffed the pain in one corner of her mind, to be dealt with when the time allowed. Taking a deep breath she used her hands to propel her down the slope, not caring about the bumps and bruises she accumulated along the way. Her children had been taken from her and though she had them back she would NOT let another family be torn apart. With a scream of rage she reached him, throwing her arms around his legs and tripping him.

The pair tumbled down the hill, bouncing off a tree or two along the way. Sheila only had glimpses of Dorothy and the two girls as they fell but saw them climbing back up the slope towards safety. Dorothy hesitated, apparently unwilling to leave her friend but Sheila screamed at her to go.

The killer tried to pull himself up and go after the others but Sheila hung on to him like a bulldog. He snarled and struck at her, finally throwing her away. Looking up she saw the others reach the top of the hill and disappear to safety.

The killer turned to her. He held the knife over his head. Sheila groped around her, trying to find a branch or rock or anything to defend herself with. Once she had nearly given up, stopped only by the voice inside her. Now, if she was going to go she was going to go out fighting.

Just as the knife started its downward stroke a gun fired. The killer shook as a growing red spot appeared on his chest. He lifted the knife again. Two more rapid shots blasted through the night air and he fell over backwards. For a moment his body convulsed and then he was still.

"Sheila? Are you alright?"

Before the dazed woman could answer the shrubbery crashed around her and a figure appeared. The dim light was enough to reveal Lucas Provo, in civilian clothes but with a Beretta nine-millimeter pistol in hand. He covered the fallen killer and rolled him over with his foot, the muzzle of his pistol never wavering. The killer was dead.

With that certain Luke jammed the pistol into a holster and scooped Sheila up in his arms. Carrying her in front of him he carefully made his way up the trail to where the parking lot was full of red and blue lights and uniformed and plain clothes police. Luke headed towards and ambulance but stopped and waited as two small forms bolted from the pavilion to them. Luke knelt and the foursome molded together in one long hug that foreshadowed to JJ how things were going to be from then on.

It was no surprise when she felt the scene fading away and her being drawn away to where Seth waited for her. She turned to her guide.

"Is it over Seth? Was that the tenth time? And what happens now?"

"No it's not," the angel replied. "Because, you see one of the previous times has been erased by your actions. So there will be one more."

JJ sighed. Loudly. "What now?"

(To be concluded)

(Note: Major Lucas Provo and his unnamed US Marshal friends are borrowed from the TV series "In Plain Sight" season 5.) 


	5. Chapter 5

Deja-Vu

Chapter 5

"What now?"

She glared at Seth. "I suppose this time I get to come back as a child. Or perhaps a dog. Let me remind you Chevy Chase did that already and I didn't think the movie was THAT funny."

Seth smiled gently. Oh this time I think you'll be right at home, JJ." His face turned serious. "Remember Jennifer, throughout your entire life you will make mistakes. They're not held against you, not by me, not by my Captain and not by him to whom we all bow. But you are expected to learn from those mistakes and not repeat them."

"Am I going to see you again Seth?" JJ asked.

"Once more only, when your days are finished. Until then you won't see me, but know that I will always be at your side."

Moved by a sudden impulse, JJ threw her arms around the angel. She straightened up and gave him a smile marked by determination. "Okay, I'm ready."

One more time the world swam for a moment. She adjusted the steering wheel as she blinked, looking at the darkened drive-through window of a pharmacy. She swung the patrol car around the corner. Now she would check the front doors. She considered getting out of the car and walking the front, rattling the doors as she did. She had just decided not to, that there was no point in her being foolish about exposing herself, when movement in the parking lot caught her attention. Frowning, she started to turn the spotlight on the lone car when she heard the scream.

Her reaction was automatic. She slammed her right foot down on the accelerator. She flicked on the high beams and then cut on the blue lights. Her other foot pressed the floor mounted radio button. As she reported the situation she saw a figure turn and begin to run towards a gap in the buildings. The lights of her cruiser illuminated the knife clutched in one hand. She turned in the direction of the fleeing outline, chasing it until it disappeared in the dimly lit alley.

Stomping on the brakes, she slid sideways to block the entrance and leapt from the car. She shouted the information into her shoulder mike that she was in foot pursuit of an armed suspect possibly the Halloween Killer. Drawing her service weapon, she started after the subject, calling on him, as she thought the figure seemed male, to halt.

Between one step and another the world seemed to slow to a crawl. Dimly, she could hear dispatch acknowledging her. She could hear the woman still screaming out by the car. She could hear the sound of distant sirens and blowing engines as her fellow officers rushed to her assistance. Her mind flashed back to last night, to snuggling on the couch with Will with their son Henry tucked between them. It had been just cool enough to make lighting a fire possible. The warmth surrounding her, from the flames, from her husband pressed against her, from her son sleeping with his head pillowed against her all took JJ away to a safe place. The place was so safe that as she forced her mind back to reality for the first time she felt fear and a desire to leap back into her patrol car and wait for backup.

She couldn't. The fleeing suspect was still in sight. She had read last year's reports. They thought they had him trapped but had never been able to find him. Worse, however he had slipped through the cordon, he had done so with enough time to hunt down and murder his annual victim before midnight.

All of those thoughts flashed through her mind in less time than it took for the suspect to take a complete step. JJ took off down the alleyway, her eyes fixed on the fleeing form. He disappeared around the corner; ignoring her demands for him to halt. Sprinting ahead, she reached out and hooked a concrete pole protecting the corner from wayward drivers. Still running, she planted her left foot and pushed to her right, shoving against the post with her hand as she did. Using her momentum, she sprang AWAY from the corner even as she spun to face the back side of the shopping center.

The blow caught her between the breasts and staggered her as the knife blade impacted on the shock plate of her protective vest. She staggered back but retained her footing. As the wild-eyed figure before her tried to regain its balance, she lifted her service weapon into a two-handed grip. Her training taking over, she barked "Drop the knife. NOW!"

The man before her did no such thing. Screaming wordlessly he ran at her, the blade high over his head. Without aiming, JJ centered the front of her weapon on his chest, her arms locked before her. In compliance with her training, she fired twice. The killer staggered but continued to try to reach her, swinging the knife feebly. He fell, but even then he continued to crawl after her. JJ hastily looked behind her, confirming there was nothing under foot and backed away. Her skin crawled as he dragged himself through his blood, apparently still determined to somehow reach her. Then he gasped, choked and collapsed lifelessly to the concrete.

JJ found that once more she was drawn away from herself. Time stood still. She could see a squad car pulling around the far corner of the strip. It was stopped in place. She looked behind her. A splash of red and blue lights that marked another arrival she couldn't see yet was frozen in stillness against the trees behind the concrete.

A form rose from the ground. JJ attempted to train the weapon her spirit self wasn't holding on him as she recognized the killer. But he couldn't see her. Instead, JJ shook at the bestial look of fear on his face. She heard him screaming, over and over, "No! NOOOOO!" before he threw his arms over his face and he was blotted out by an enormous shadow. Then he was gone, leaving behind only the stench of sulfur.

JJ tore her eyes away to see the old man standing near her, his eyes fixed on the last position of the killer. His body was braced as though for battle; a fight he looked eager to commence and for brief instants his cane appeared to be a mighty broadsword and brilliant white light peeked out all over him as though his guise could no longer hold in his true self. She wanted to hide behind him in case whatever had just taken the damned killer came back. Instead, she forced herself to remain calm and looked at him.

"He won't be back Jennifer."

"Him? or HIM?"

"Neither of them. Oh, my ancient foe lurks close always, hoping and scheming for a soul to take for his own. But as long as your guard is up Jennifer you need not fear him."

"It, it sounds strange," admitted JJ. "I know what that man was capable of and I can only imagine all he did, but, somehow, for some reason, I feel sorry for him. For his fear and what I can only guess he will suffer. But I guess that he made his choice long ago and had no choice."

"No, you see, that's wrong Jennifer. There is no 'Devil and Daniel Webster'. At any time he could have turned his life around. The mercy from above is infinite and can be appealed to anytime before the end."

JJ nodded in understanding. "Its not he couldn't; he wouldn't."

"Exactly." The old man leaned on his cane with both hands and beamed at her. "Now then young lady. You need to get back to your life. You have a lot to do and a family to get home to."

Tears filled JJ's eyes. "You mean, you mean, I get to go home?"

He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "That's exactly what I mean. Your life is yours to live now Jennifer. You have done much, seen much and learned much. Put it all to good use and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand."

JJ blinked. Movement around her resumed. The cars screeched up. Fellow officers boiled out of the alley. And Aaron was besside her asking her if she was alright.

Hours later, the TV crews and the reporters had left. FBI Internal Affairs finished its review of her actions on the scene. In a surprise move, the Inspector heading the investigation shook her hand and assured her she had nothing to worry about. The shooting was completely justified. Although she had thought so, she had been surprised at the ease of the questioning. When she returned to the BAU she ran into Aaron again and said as much.

He had snorted. "JJ, you're a hero. If you had gunned that bastard down at high noon in the middle of church from behind no one would say anything." Taking in her appearance, the he softened. "But you done good JJ." He put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her and kissed the side of her face. "Now go home. Will and Henry are waiting. And JJ?" She turned and looked at him questioningly. "Don't you EVER tell anyone I just kissed you." His eyes twinkled.

She laughed out loud. "Your secret is safe with me."

JJ sat at her desk. She was going home. Tonight, all she wanted was to go home. Thoughts of Will and Henry chased everything else from her mind. With a burst of energy she almost ran to her car. She was going HOME.

She pulled into the driveway and got out of her car. The front porch light was burning and she could see light that looked like it was coming from the kitchen. She unlocked the door, closed it and relocked it, turning off the outside light. She followed the source of other light to, as she had thought, the kitchen. Will was sitting there with two cups of hot tea. Wordlessly he handed her one. She took a sip, then set it onto the table and threw herself into his arms. Muffling her sobs against him, she cried herself out.

"Hey, hey," Will stroked her hair. "Its okay." He tipped her face up and kissed her. "I know, I know. You have had one helluva day, cher."

"More than you could ever know," she thought. She looked up at her husband. "There was a time," she said. "When I thought I was never going to see you and Henry again."

Will kissed her again. "Well, let's go see him."

They tiptoed down the hall and peeked into their son's bedroom. JJ drank in the sight of Henry sleeping peacefully. She strove to keep the tears from flowing again. Bending over, she kissed him gently on the cheek and adjusted the blanket covering his sleeping form.

She wrapped her arm around her husband's waist and walked back to their bedroom with him. She took a quick shower, donned a short thin nightgown and headed towards the bed, brushing her hair. Will was already there, stretched out on top of the sheet in a pair of cotton boxers. She climbed onto the bed and snuggled up beside him, smothering a yawn as she did. They lay together on comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Will, what would you say if I told you I'm thinking about leaving the Bureau?"

Her husband took a few moments to answer. "First, I would be tempted to yell 'Hallelujah!'. But then I would come to my senses. Darlin', you are doing what you want to do, what you've dreamed of doing."

"Well, I was thinking of a change, but I would still be working in law enforcement. You remember Dan Willis?"

"Sure. Big old bear of a guy. Wasn't he in charge of the Academy when you went through it?"

"Yes. I saw him last week and he's now working as a Special Investigator for the United States Attorney. There are two slots open on that squad. It requires you be a certified and sworn officer but it's like being a detective. I'd be in plain clothes and although of course there would be late hours sometimes, Dan assures me that most of the time he works 8 to 5."

Will hugged her. "It sounds great. But don't make any decisions right now Honey. Sleep on it. Think about it for a few days."

"Alright," JJ agreed. Then she got a wicked smile on her face. Snuggling up to her husband she ran her fingers over his bare chest. Stretching up a bit she kissed him, quick little kisses to accompany her fingers as they wandered down Will's body.

"I have been thinking about one decision for sometime now."

"Mmmm, what is that JJ?" Will moaned, softly at first, then louder as JJ followed her fingers with her lips.

"I was thinking," JJ nipped Will's nipple. "That it was about time," she flicked her tongue at the other one. "That Henry had a baby brother or sister," she kissed his flat stomach and looked up at him."

Will reached down, running his fingers through her hair. "Have you stopped taking your birth control pills already?"

"Of course not silly. Not without talking to you first. Its a big decision too and we agreed we would always make those together."

"Two things." Will touched JJ's cheek and she kissed his fingertips. "First, I've been thinking of that too and its a wonderful idea. And second..." Will's voice trailed off.

"Second?" inquired JJ.

"Second," Will suddenly reached down and caught JJ under her arms and pulled her up to him. Kissing her, he rolled them over until he had her trapped under him. "Second, I think that as much fun as where you were headed was going to be, we should practice on doing it the old fashioned way if you are going to have another baby."

JJ squirmed under Will, then pretended to give in. When she felt his muscles relax, she hooked a leg over his and rolled them back over. Straddling her husband, she reached down and guided the head of his cock between her legs. She slowly relaxed her legs, settling down on him. Her hands grasped his wrists and she covered her breasts with them.

"You MINX!"

JJ let out a deep, happy sigh as her body came to rest on her man, his rigid shaft engulfed in her. She began to rock her hips, moving him inside her. "I can get pregnant this way just as well as any other." She raised herself up until just the tip of him was still in her and held there.

"A tease too." The twinkle in Will's eyes belied his words and his fingers began to carefully roll and tug her nipples. He gasped deeply as her knees suddenly gave way and she sat down on him in one long movement.

"Yes," JJ whispered. "I'm a minx and a tease and I'm all yours."

"And I am all yours." Will shifted his hands to JJ's hips, caressing the smooth skin there, the tips of his fingers brushing the swell of her butt. "Play with your breasts JJ," Will pleaded. "Its so hot to watch you touch yourself."

"Oh yes baby." Jennifer cupped her breasts and stroked her nipples. "You do so like that. I know." She began to rise and fall on him, aided by his strong hands. "Maybe later you want to watch me play with myself. You get so excited by that too."

"Maybe," Will gasped, his hips beginning to rise and fall in counter-point to her. "But right now I just want my sexy wife."

JJ was bouncing furiously now. Up and down, she used her weight to slam the head of Will's shaft against her spongy spot. Her back was arched and her fingers furiously pulled and pinched her nipples. Her eyes were closed and she struggled for air, gasping deeply each time she dropped down onto her husband.

"Will, Will, oh God, Will. Oh God, I love you." Her movements were frenzied now. She could feel her husband swelling in her and she gripped his cock with her internal muscles. He gave a smothered cry of pleasure that was practically pain and then she could feel him releasing himself in her, even as her own orgasm swept her away. She fell forward against him and his arms encircled her.

"I love you too," he whispered into her hair.

They made love one more time before exhaustion claimed them. JJ could not sleep. although her body clamored for rest. When the slow, regular breathing next to her confirmed that Will was sound asleep, she slipped from the bed. She ran her eyes over the form of her husband. She caught up her nightgown from the bed and padded down the hall to look in again on Henry. Her angel slept on. JJ's eyes filled one more time as she considered what she had nearly lost.

Going to the den, she fumbled over a shelf and picked up a small box. Opening it, she fished out an old card Will had brought from Louisiana. Kneeling in front of the couch she fixed the vision of the old man in her mind, now understanding who he was and she began to pray.

"Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle...

(The End)

("The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a short story by Stephen Vincent Benet" about a man who sells his soul to the devil and is defended by the famous stateman Daniel Webster. I chose the name "Seth" for the Guardian Angel in homage to a character in a certain movie. And Michael the Archangel is, of course, the patron saint of police officers, paramedics, firefighters and soldiers.)  



End file.
